The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-06-08
ALL ABOUT ELEPHANTS.
Many Comparatively New Facts In Regard
to Their Habits and Peculiarities.

to Their Habits and Peculiarities.
The main supply of ivory is derived
from the African elephant, and not
from his Indian or Asiatic brethren.
There are numerous differences be-
tween the two-the African beast being
the larger, foot taller, having bigger
ears, somewhat fatter head, and
with four nails on each foot; whereas
the Asiatlc elephant has four nails on
each hind foot and five on his fore feet.
1t is the absence of tusks IN the Asiatic
elephant, or their partial development,
which is the great difference. The
tusks of the African elephant vary
with the size or age of the animal.
They have no roots like the teeth Of
animals, "but fit firmly into what are
called premaxiliary sockets. and if we
should examine this buried or hidden
portion, we should find that it was
partly hollow, so to speak, the ivory at
the root being very thin and surround
ing pulp, where the ivory is being
secreted."
AS the animal increases in years the
hollow in the tusk is filled up with
solid material, and '1n extremely old
elephants it disappears entirely, and
the tusk is solid ivory" The dentine,
as in the matured tusk. begins in
pulp cavity, which may be ten inches
or more long. imbedded in the skull,
and this is soft. Sometimes it hap
pens that a ball has been fired at an
elephant. which is imbedded in the
softer portion of the tusk, and after a
while is surrounded by the harder
ivory. Such balls are sometimes found
by ivory workers.
The true teeth of the elephant have a
curious method of progression. "mov-
ing gradually forward from behind in
regular succession; each old front
tooth as it is worn away being pushed
out of place by it's successor. The
wear and tear on the teeth of this ami
mated grlnding-mill must be immense
"a large Indian elephant consuming
eight hundred pounds of green fodder
in the eighteen hours.
An English officer in charge of ele-
plants belonging to the Government
found that for years the animals had
been given two hundred and fifty
pounds of green fodder. and had been
starved, because, through ignorance,
the Government had fixed the rate.
The elephant uses his tusks for attack
and defense, but principally, in wild
state, to overturn trees of small
growth, so that he can feed on their
branches. Sir Samuel Baker meas
ured mimosa trees four feet six inches
in circumference and thirty feet high,
which elephants had pulled down, and
the damage they cause is almost in
credible. These trees, however, have
no deep root, and are comparatively
easy to overthrow.
1t is the trunk of the elephant which
is its most remarkable feature. Culver
estimated it as containing forty thou
sand muscles. 1t is both hand and
nose. Though the trunk is
SO useful, it is "a very
tender and delicate organ, and is not
used in the rough manner generally
supposed. I'm making an attack, it
is raised high in the air out of the way.
When a great weight is lifted, it is not
the trunk, but the tusks, which are
employed, the former only holding the
object upon the latter"
There are many facts in regard tc
elephants which are novel to readers.
1t is not generally known that there
is resemblance between the stomachs
of the elephant and camel. since
both possess the power of storing wa.
ter. Hunters have been often aston.
ished at seeing elephants, which they
have been chasing for some time, in
sert their trunks into their mouths,
and there obtain a supply Of water
that is blown over their dry and heat.
ed body.-Goldes Days.
Formerly the foolish virgins had
| no oil; now the foolish virgins are too
free with the kerosene -Haekensas1
Republican,